Grateful for Eternal Marriage

A True Love Story Never Ends...

On December 26, 2013 I married Ammon Bradley Gruwell, the love of my life! It was also the day when I discovered what heaven must feel like.

I remember not being able to sleep at all the night before, my mind racing with excitement for the next day. The day before had been Christmas Day. We spent our last Christmas unmarried with our families, Ammon in South Jordan with his parents, and me in Provo with my family and Melissa, who had just returned home from Brazil less than a week before. It was hard to spend the whole day away from him, but there was plenty of planning to do to keep my mind occupied. My wonderful family spent most of the day baking cooking and putting finishing touches on centerpieces and decorations for the reception. Ammon came late at the end of the night so we could exchange our Christmas presents for each other. I remember him telling me as he hugged me goodbye that this would be the last time we would have to say goodbye instead of simply goodnight! That was a happy thought!

The morning could not have come soon enough, and I sprang out of bed as soon as my alarm finally rang. It was the morning of my wedding! I kept having to remind myself of that fact, because even though it was actually here, it still seemed like a dream. 

When we arrived at the temple, I immediately saw Ammon at the front doors, sharply dressed in his new suit and red vest.That was the first time that it started to feel real and my stomach did a happy somersault as the thought rushed through my mind that in a few more minutes, that handsome man would be my husband!

I changed into my temple gown and then was led to where Ammon was waiting inside the Celestial Room. I remember my heart swelling with love and joy when I heard his voice through the veil. That feeling continued as we sat on a couch in the Celestial Room, waiting for the time of our sealing. I loved sitting close to Ammon, his arm around me, and talking quietly and excitedly about our future together. I knew without a shred of doubt that I had found a good, righteous man who would love me forever, who would help our family stay close to the Lord, and who would be right by my side through the adventures of our life. 

Finally we were led to the Sealing Room. I remember a strong feeling of love bursting through the doors when we walked in that room. Everywhere I looked I saw smiling faces of people that I loved, so happy for me and Ammon. I remember seeing my Grandma Gee smiling at me and vividly feeling that my Grandpa Gee was close by, smiling at me too. I sat down on a white couch, with Ammon on my right and my mom on my left, and looked up to where my dear Grandpa Smith waited to address us.

I'm so grateful that my Grandpa was able to seal us! He spoke to us so lovingly and personally. Grandpa Smith spoke about how sacred the covenant of marriage was that we were about to enter into and gave us counsel on how to protect our marriage and our future family. His words felt like they were Heavenly Father's own words to me and I felt overwhelmed with a glimpse of the perfect love that He has for me, His daughter. 

When Grandpa invited us to the altar, Ammon took my arm and helped me kneel first before going around to the other side. When he knelt across from me, I looked up into his eyes. Ammon gazed deep into mine with a look of pure love and fierce loyalty. At that moment, something that he had told me the night he proposed entered into my mind. He promised me that night, that he would spend his life learning to love me the way that he knew that God loved me. Joy shone through my face and I couldn't stop smiling as I looked at this man who I loved, and who I knew loved me. 

As my Grandpa began to speak the words of the sealing, I felt deeper and purer happiness than I ever knew was possible to feel. The tears began rolling down my cheeks and my heart felt completely full of happiness and gratitude. I could not look away from Ammon and I could not stop smiling. It was most beautiful emotion I have ever felt and I imagined that this must be a taste of celestial joy.

After the sealing, we quietly hugged and thanked everyone in the room. The tears started again when I hugged my sweet mom and dad! I know that I was were I was because of their righteous examples and countless prayers and sacrifices throughout my life. I am so grateful that I was born to such good, faithful parents! I also remember hugging my dear sister, Melissa, and feeling so grateful that she got home just in time to be there on my special day. She has been my constant friend and support through my whole life, I couldn't imagine her not being there!

The rest of the day seemed to flow as effortlessly and perfectly as a dream. I was amazed how, after months of planning and stressing, everything just seemed to come together so flawlessly. It was more wonderful than I could have imagined. The family took

reception

cake

bouquet toss

dancing

sparklers

driving away

I know that Heavenly Father led me to Ammon. I know that He is my Father and has a perfect love for me.  His plan of happiness allows us to have real joy during this earth life and to live forever with Him and with our families. I know that all of this is only possible through our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. His Atonement allows us to be clean and worthy to be in God's presence. It gives us the power to become what God wants us to become. I am so grateful for my eternal marriage and for a good husband who sees the best in me, who supports me and loves me through all moments, whether joyful or trying, and who helps me to always stay close to the Lord.

Grateful she said YES!

I had decided that I wanted to propose at Big Springs back in April, but up until last Friday I didn't know any specifics of what I wanted to do beyond that. As soon as I heard the idea of putting together a time capsule I knew it was the thing to do, so I casually suggested it to Jamie and planned the date up the canyon. 

On the morning of Saturday the 14th we put together our time capsule at her house and made sandwiches for our hike. It was super fun remembering all of the fun times that we have shared over the past year. We included in our time capsule a lot of little things that reminded us of things that we've done together. We also wrote letters to each other to be read in 5 years. I'm actually really curious to read what Jamie wrote, but I guess I have to wait. :)

After getting everything ready we drove up the canyon to Vivian park where we took a right and followed the curvy road up the canyon until we reached Big Springs. There we parked and started up the same trail that we hiked a couple of days before I left for Chicago. It was a beautiful fall day with leaves just starting to change colors and the ground still damp from a morning drizzle. I was hoping to find the same spot where we stopped in April where a little stream splits into two for about 20 feet and then comes back together again; however the vegetation had completely changed since spring so we never did find that same spot.

About a mile up the trail it started pouring rain. Luckily I had packed an umbrella so we didn't get drenched, but about that time we reached the edge of a huge mountain meadow. We didn't feel safe crossing the meadow under an umbrella in a thunderstorm so we wandered into a beautiful little campsite just off of the trail. There we sat on a fallen tree under our umbrella singing and chatting for about an hour waiting for the rain to stop. It was so much fun that we didn't even notice when the rain finally did stop for quite a while. When the sun came out we spread a blanket out in the meadow and had a relaxing picnic in the warm sunlight. 

Then we went back into our little clearing off of the trail and dug a hole under a fallen tree by where we were sitting. There we buried the time capsule. Then while Jamie found a couple of rocks to put on top, I carved our initials in the tree above the hole. When we were finished I held her tight and with shaking knees I decided the time was right to pop the question. 

I began by remembering how impressed I was upon getting to know her last fall. I spoke about how my love only grew as we spent more time together. I told her how the Lord had shown to me in the temple about how I would know it was right if I felt closer to her as I drew closer to the Lord. I shared with her my desire to spend the rest of my life by her side, and I expressed my desire to someday grow to love her as the Lord loves her. Then I got on one knee, pulled out her ring and asked her to be my wife. I cannot express my complete happiness and joy when she cried out that she would and hugged me so fast that she hardly even saw the ring. I then sang “I swear” by John Michael Montgomery to her as I held her tight. 

We spent the next couple hours taking pictures and planning for the future. We planned to go to the temple that night, but we got back too late so we ended up going out for Thai food instead. What a perfect day it was! I don't think I have ever been so happy in my life! I can't wait to marry the love of my life in the house of the Lord!

Grateful to be Together again...this time for good!

I can't express how happy I was to pick Jamie up from the airport in Chicago. She was more beautiful than ever in a blue and white striped shirt. I greeted her at the airport with a bouquet of red roses and I decorated my apartment with streamers. I also decorated her mirror with a big heart and our initials inside written in tooth paste, but it didn't turn out to be the most beautiful thing because the toothpaste sank along the mirror. :)

We had an incredible time over the next couple of days together in Chicago. The night she flew in we went for a night time swim at the apartment pool, and then woke up early the next morning to go for a run and then to the temple. Afterwards we ate at a super nice Italian restaurant and then drove downtown to spend the evening at Navy Pier. 

It was quite the experience! Navy Pier is like a big carnival on the water. We rode the ferris wheel, played mini golf, saw an acrobat show, and went for a boat ride with a fireworks show at the end. What a perfect day! 

The next morning we packed and cleaned my apartment and finally hopped in the car by late afternoon. On our way out we ate real Chicago hot dogs at Portillo's before hitting the road to Nauvoo.

The drive down to Nauvoo was beautiful! Unfortunately we had taken so long to pack that the second half of the trip was made in the dark. Since my car doesn't have cruise control I didn't notice that I was going a bit too fast until the flashing lights behind me slowed me down. I'm glad Jamie was there with me because she makes even the worst situations fun, but I was a bit sad to get my first speeding ticket ever. Admittedly I was going 71 in a 55 zone. :)

Jamie's uncle Randy was kind enough to let us stay in the house that he rents out in Nauvoo for a the two nights that we were there. It's a cute little yellow house just a couple blocks from the temple. Our first day there we went around touring a bunch of old historical buildings, visited carthage jail, and saw a cute musical performance by a bunch of the missionary couples serving in Nauvoo. 

The next morning we did an early morning session at the beautiful Nauvoo temple. That has to be the most beautiful temple that I have ever seen!

 It was also the most interesting temple experience I have had in a while. As we were hurriedly preparing to go to the temple I pulled out my Sunday clothes and discovered that I had foolishly placed 6 cubes of butter in a plastic bag above my luggage in my trunk which had melted the day before and soaked into my luggage and through several layers of clothing. Unfortunately the melting butter also absorbed the colors of the clothing through which it soaked leaving my white Sunday shirt looking more like a tie-dye shirt with a variety of orange, brown, and black stripes across it. I was able to hide the colors with my suit and everything worked out ok, although I may have smelled of popcorn throughout the session in the temple. :)

After the temple we commenced our long journey back to Utah. I've never had so much fun sitting in a car for 10 hours straight for two days in a row! We played word games, listened to audio books, and just talked about our future. When the journey was over it was both joyful and sad. What a fun week we spent together!